Conus obscurus
| Conus obscurus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Apertural view of Conus obscurus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Gastropoda |
| (unranked): | clade Caenogastropoda clade Hypsogastropoda clade Neogastropoda |
| Superfamily: | Conoidea |
| Family: | Conidae |
| Subfamily: | Coninae |
| Genus: | Conus |
| Species: | C. obscurus |
| Binomial name | |
| Conus obscurus G. B. Sowerby II, 1833 [1] | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Conus obscurus, common name the obscure cone, is a species of sea snail, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Conidae, the cone snails and their allies.[2]
Like all species within the genus Conus, these snails are predatory and venomous. They are capable of "stinging" humans, therefore live ones should be handled carefully or not at all.
Description
The size of an adult shell varies between 20 mm and 44 mm. This small to medium-sized shell is shaped like a small Conus geographus but with smaller coronations on the shoulder. The shell is subcylindrical, violaceous, with chestnut blotches, forming two interrupted bands, and faint lines of minute chestnut and white articulations. The aperture is very wide anteriorly caused by a concave lower half of the columella. [3]
Distribution
This species occurs in the Indian Ocean along Aldabra, the Mascarene Basin and Tanzania; in the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii and French Polynesia.
References
- ↑ Sowerby (II), G. B. Jr., 1833. The Conchological Illustrations
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Conus obscurus G. B. Sowerby II, 1833. Retrieved through: World Register of Marine Species on 3 August 2011.
- ↑ George Washington Tryon, Manual of Conchology vol. VI, p. 88; 1884 (described as Conus violaceus)
- Filmer R.M. (2001). A Catalogue of Nomenclature and Taxonomy in the Living Conidae 1758 - 1998. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden. 388pp.
- Tucker J.K. & Tenorio M.J. (2009) Systematic classification of Recent and fossil conoidean gastropods. Hackenheim: Conchbooks. 296 pp.
- Tucker J.K. (2009). Recent cone species database. September 4th 2009 Edition
Gallery
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Conus obscurus Sowerby, G.B. I, 1833
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Conus obscurus Sowerby, G.B. I, 1833
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Conus obscurus Sowerby, G.B. I, 1833
External links
- The Conus Biodiversity website
- Gastropods.com: Protostrioconus obscurus; accessed: 3 August 2011
- Cone Shells - Knights of the Sea
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